Massachusetts Ski Resorts

Massachusetts has the double advantages of cold winters and proximity to large population centers of central and southern New England. Wachusett Mountain Ski Area in Princeton is the big player in Bay State skiing. Skier and rider visits have topped 375,000 a year each season since a major expansion 25 years ago... Full Overview

Massachusetts has the double advantages of cold winters and proximity to large population centers of central and southern New England.

Wachusett Mountain Ski Area in Princeton is the big player in Bay State skiing. Skier and rider visits have topped 375,000 a year each season since a major expansion 25 years ago transformed the area from a mom-and-pop operation to a first-class resort with top-notch snowmaking and grooming, modern high-speed lifts, and a modern base lodge.

Wachusett has 22 trails, most lighted for night skiing, served by two high-speed detachable quads, two triples, three carpets and a pony lift. Five groomers maintain skiing service with twice daily grooming.

Further west, Jiminy Peak is the jewel of the Berkshires. Jiminy is a self contained resort, with skiing/boarding, slopeside accommodations, a village center with shops, and dining on site. The advanced skier/boarder can find challenging terrain, while intermediates can enjoy runs just made for cruising. Take the high speed six-passenger Berkshire Express to the summit. Beginners, too, can take to the slopes at their own pace. If you just can't get your fill of skiing during the day, don't worry - there's lighted night skiing to fill the void.

Ski Bousquet in Pittsfield is one of the early ski areas in New England, still going strong. Claire Bousquet opened his hillside pastures to skiing at the request of the Mount Greylock Ski Club in 1932. By 1933, the farm was the destination for wealthy Bostonians and New Yorkers looking for walk-up, ski-down weekends.

Bousquet was the first ski area in the world to offer night skiing in 1936 and one of the first two resorts in the world to install snow making equipment in 1956. There are 21 trails, almost evenly divided by ability level, two double chairs, and three surface lifts.

Other areas in Massachusetts include Berkshire East just south of Route 2 in the northern Berkshires, Blue Hills outside of Boston; Bradford; Catamount; Nashoba Valley – a popular area in Westford owned by the family of Pam Fletcher, former U.S. Ski Team racer and Olympian; Otis Ridge; Ski Butternut; and Ski Ward, a small but popular ski area in Shrewsbury.

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